# Scene 13

*A large reception room in Hilary's house. As the curtain rises Hilary and Romanus are in conversation.*

*Hilary:*  
I must with grief confess to thee, dear friend,  
That this fate's tangle, which is forming here  
Within our circle, well-nigh crusheth me.  
On what can one rely, when nothing holds?  
The friends of Benedictus are by thee  
Kept far from our endeavours; Strader, too,  
Is torn by bitter agonies of doubt.  
A man who, full of shrewdness and of hate,  
Hath oft opposed the mystic life and aims,  
Hath pointed out grave errors in his plans  
And shewn that his invention cannot work,  
And is not only stopped by outward checks.  
Life hath not brought me any ripened fruit;  
I longed for perfect deeds. And yet the thoughts  
That bring deeds unto ripeness never came.  
My soul was ever plagued by loneliness.  
By spirit-sight alone was I upborne.  
And yet;—in Strader's case I was deceived.

*Romanus:*  
I often felt as though some gruesome shape  
Was pressing painfully upon my soul  
Whene'er thy words were in the course of life  
Shown to be naught but errors and mistakes  
And as the spirit-sight appeared as false,  
My mystic master did this shape become  
Within me and did set a feeling free  
Which now enables me to give thee light.  
Too blindly hast thou trusted spirit-sight;  
And so as error it appears to thee  
When it doth surely lead thee to the truth.  
In Strader's case thy sight was true, despite  
The things this super-clever man hath shown.

*Hilary:*  
Thy faith still doth not waver, and thou hast  
The same opinion now of Strader's work?

*Romanus:*  
The reasons whereon I did build it up  
Have naught to do with Strader's friends at all  
And still are valid, whether his machine  
Prove itself true or faulty in design.  
Supposing he hath made an error; well,  
A man through error finds the way to truth.

*Hilary:*  
The failure then doth not affect thee—thee  
To whom life hath brought nothing but success?

*Romanus:*  
Those who do not fear failure will succeed.  
It only needs an understanding eye  
To see what bearing mysticism has  
Upon our case, and forthwith there appears  
The view that we should take of Strader's work.  
He will come off victorious in the fight  
Which flings the spirit-portals open wide;  
Undaunted by the watchman will he stride  
Across the threshold of the spirit-land.  
My soul hath deeply realized the words  
Which that stern Guardian of the threshold spake.  
I feel him even now at Strader's side.  
Whether he sees him, or toward him goes  
Unknowing, this indeed I cannot say;  
But I believe that I know Strader well.  
He will courageously make up his mind  
That self-enlightenment must come through pain;  
The Will shall ever bear him company  
Who bravely goes to meet what lies before,  
And, fortified by Hope's strength-giving stream,  
Doth boldly face the pain,which Knowledge brings.

*Hilary:*  
My friend, I thank thee for these mystic words.  
Oft have I heard them; now for the first time  
I feel the secret meaning they enfold.  
The cosmic ways are hard to comprehend—  
My portion, my dear friend, it is to wait  
Until the spirit points me out the way  
Which is appropriate unto my sight.

*(Exeunt left.)  
  
(Enter Capesius and Felix Balde, shown In by Secretary, on right.)*

*Secretary:*  
I think that Benedictus will return  
Sometime to-day from off his journey; but  
He is not here at present; if thou com'st  
Again to-morrow thou shouldst find him here.

*Felix Balde:*  
Can we then have a talk with Hilary?

*Secretary:*  
I'll go and ask him now to come to you.

*(Exit)*

*Felix Balde:*  
A vision of deep import hast thou seen.  
Couldst thou not tell it to me o'er again?  
One cannot apprehend such things aright  
Till they are fully grasped by spirit-sight.

*Capesius:*  
It came this morning, when I thought myself  
Wrapt in the stillness of the mystic mood.  
My senses slept, and with them memory.  
To spirit things alone was I alive.  
At first I saw naught but familiar sights.  
Then Strader's soul came clearly into view  
Before mine inner eye, and for a while  
Stood silent, so that I had ample time  
To make sure I was awake.  
But soon I also heard him clearly say  
‘Abandon not the real true mystic mood.’  
As if the sound came from his inmost soul.  
He then continued, with sharp emphasis:  
‘To strive for naught, but just to live in peace:  
Expectancy the soul's whole inner life:—  
That is the mystic mood. And of itself  
It wakes, unsought amid the stream of life,  
Whene'er a human soul is rightly strong  
And seeks the spirit with all-powerful thought.  
This mood comes often in our stillest hours  
Yet also in the heat of action; then  
It's only will is that the soul should not  
By thoughtlessness withdraw and fail to heed  
The tender sight of spirit happenings.’

*Felix Balde:*  
Like to the very echo of my words  
This utt'rance sounds,—yet not quite what I meant.

*Capesius:*  
On close consideration one might find  
The opposite of thine own words therein,—  
And more distinctly doth this fact appear  
When we give heed to this his further speech  
‘Whoever falsely wakes the mystic mood  
It leads his inmost soul but to himself.  
And weaves betwixt himself and realms of light  
The dark veil of his own soul's enterprise.  
If this thou wouldst through mysticism seek  
Mystic illusion will destroy thy life.’

*Felix Balde:*  
This can be nothing else than words of mine  
By Strader's spirit-views transformed; in thee  
They echo as a grievous mystic fault.

*Capesius:*  
Moreover Strader's final words were these:  
‘A man can not attain the spirit-world  
By seeking to unlock the gates himself.  
Truth doth not sound within the soul of him  
Who only seeks a mood for many years.’

*(Philia appears, perceptible only to Capesius; Felix Balde shows that he does not comprehend what follows.)*

*Philia:*  
Capesius, if soon thou markest well  
What in thy seeking comes to thee unsought,  
'Twill strengthen thee with many-coloured light;  
In pictured being it will pierce thee through  
Since thy soul-forces show it unto thee.  
That which thy self's sun-nature rays on thee  
By Saturn's ripened wisdom will be dulled;  
Then to thy vision will there be disclosed  
That which in earth-life thou canst comprehend.  
Then I will lead thee to the Guardian  
Who on the spirit-threshold keeps his watch.

*Felix Balde:*  
From circles which I know not issue words.  
Their sound awakes no being full of light,  
And so they are not fully real to me.

*Capesius:*  
The hint which Philia hath given me  
Shall be my guide so that from this time forth  
In spirit too may be revealed what I  
Already as a man upon the earth,  
Can find within the circuit of my life.

*Curtain*